The Trouble with ToadsOnce upon a time a young girl wanted revenge. But first, she wanted to be beautiful.
Twelve-year-old Bettony has read enough stories that begin with ‘Once upon a time’ to know what happens to the ugly stepsisters at the end, and she’s determined to escape that fate by any means necessary—even by magic.
Unfortunately, when it comes to magic, there is no place for regret, refunds, or exchanges. Even if you accidentally turn your older sister into a toad.
If Bettony wants her Happily Ever After to end well, she’s going to have to find a way to turn her sister back into a person before their mother finds out she’s been dabbling with magic and grounds her for life.
Tracking down the family magic turns out to be surprisingly easy. Now, if only it came with directions . . .
THE TROUBLE WITH TOADS (45,000 words) is the first book in a new upper MG series The Secret Stepsister Society. The second book will be released Summer 2013.
Author Danyelle LeaftyDanyelle Leafty writes upper MG and YA fantasy, and is the author of THE FAIRY GODMOTHER DILEMMA series. Danyelle has always loved fairy tales, and prefers stories where someone gets eaten, or at the very least, transmogrified. Much of her inspiration has come from fairy tales, because as G.K. Chesterton so aptly states, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."
In her spare time, she collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers. She also collects books, and one day hopes to make a house out of them. She enjoys learning languages, fiddling with her harp, and perfecting the fine art of mothering. (It's a lot like trying to herd chickens during a lightning storm while a goat stampede is going on.)
One of her heroes is Albert Einstein, particularly for the following quote: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The most important thing is not to stop questioning."
My Review:
This story was cute and had a good moral but I felt that the tone of the writing might be a bit much for a middle grade reader. I think that the moral is really the best part of the story. The author has taken a twisted look at a fairytale and made it her own while sneaking in a moral about loving yourself and not seeing the forest for the trees. I really think that preteen girls will see themselves in the stepsisters and that they might feel the moral on a personal level. The story is funny and moves along without much filler. I know this is one story that I will be sharing with my daughter when she is old enough to read it. I highly recommend this one for girls 10-13 but it isn't really aimed at boys- although they may like it. The fairytale world in this book has witches, princes, daring deeds, balls, and magic. It's a fun and enchanting world!
Blog Tour Giveaway
This story was cute and had a good moral but I felt that the tone of the writing might be a bit much for a middle grade reader. I think that the moral is really the best part of the story. The author has taken a twisted look at a fairytale and made it her own while sneaking in a moral about loving yourself and not seeing the forest for the trees. I really think that preteen girls will see themselves in the stepsisters and that they might feel the moral on a personal level. The story is funny and moves along without much filler. I know this is one story that I will be sharing with my daughter when she is old enough to read it. I highly recommend this one for girls 10-13 but it isn't really aimed at boys- although they may like it. The fairytale world in this book has witches, princes, daring deeds, balls, and magic. It's a fun and enchanting world!
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/28/13
a Rafflecopter giveawayOpen only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $25 US.
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